Coin-controlled dispensing device.



Patented Nov. 4, |902. D. SULLIVAN.

COIN CONTROLLED DISPENSING DEVICE.

(Application filed Jan. 27, 1902.)

(No Model.)

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IINTTED ST-aTns TnTnNT Ormea DANIEL SULLIVAN, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI,ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO CHARLE OF ST. LOUIS,MISSOURI'.

S F. KELLY AND HENRY MURMANN,

COiNeCONTROLLED DISPENSl-NG DEVICE.

SECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 712,740, dated November4, 1902.

Application filed January Z7, 1902. Serial No. 91,437. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Beit known that I, DANIEL SULLIvAN,a citizen of the UnitedStates,.residing at St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented certainnew and useful Improvementsin Coin-'Controlled Dispensing Devices, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description', referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention has relation to improvements in coin-controlled dispensingdevices; and it consists in the novel arrangement and combination ofparts more fully set forth'in the specification and pointed out in theclaims.

In the drawings, Figure l is aV front sectional elevation of thereceptacle, the section being taken on line l l of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is atop plan of the receptacle with the lid thrown open. Fig. 3 is a View ofthe rear of the front wall of the receptacle, the rear wall beingremoved andthe cover-plate protecting the several parts being Y partlybroken away. Fig. 4 is a transverse Vertical section on line 4 4 of Fig.l, with bonbon-box, however, in the receptacle. Fig. 5 is a sectionaldetail on line 5 5 of Fig. 3, showing-application of theejecting-key forthe coin. Fig. G

is an enlarged sectional detail taken through the keyhole and showingthe key in face elevation, and Fig. 7 is a view at right angles to Fig.-6.

The present invention is an improvement on the device for which LettersPatent of the United States, numbered 677,748, were granted to me underdate of July 2, 1901, and while contemplating the several objects setforth in the specification of said patent the present device presentsadvantages not inherent in the patented construction. Among theseadvantages is the specific control of the locking-latch, by which thesame is held disengaged from the lid by the coin after the lid has beenthrown open. Another is the final ejection ofA the coin by a keyspecially constructed for the purpose. Another is in the means forpreventing any possible retreat of the coin after being once advancedsufciently to disengage the trigger from the catch on the lid.

The present device presents further advantages better apparent from adetailed description of the invention, which is as follows:

Referring to the drawings, l represents a `receptacle having a hingedcover or lid 2, the

latter being adapted (under circumstances to be presently referred to)to be swung to an open position by one of the arms of a spring 3, coiledabout a pin 4, mounted at the base of an inclined pocket 5, formed inone of the end Walls of the receptacle, the opposite arm of said springresting against the base of said pocket. At the bottom of the receptacleis iixedan upwardly-curved resilientspring-snpporting plate 6, uponwhich the bonbon-boX'B rests and which is forced to assume a fiat or eX-panded position when the boX has been forced into the receptacle andunder the lidthereof when the latter has been closed. The momen-t,however, the lid is disengaged from its trigger the resiliency of theplate 6 forces the box upward su fciently beyond the upper edge of thereceptacle, when it may be readily seized by the operator and removedfrom the receptacle. The manner of opening the lid by the introductionof a coin (a dime) is as follows, the construction being in somerespects similar to thepatented device referred to: Formed along therear surface of the front wall of the receptacle and disposed along theupper longitudinal edge of said wall are ridges 7 and 8, respectively,on either side of which are disposed the ribs 9 9, between which is theraised formation lO, the whole being adapted to support a cover-plate11, between which and the said front wall is thus formed a space orhousing for the mounting of the coin-controlled devices. 'There is thusformed between the plate 1l and front wall of the receptacle and thecontourfof the upper edge of the formation lO a coin-chute 12, openingalong the upper edge of the front wall of the receptacle and registeringwith the coinslot 12' in the lid. Mounted pivotally at a point below andbetween the ridges 7 and 8 9 IOO the free end of said spring bearingagainst. and being free to ride over the lower curved edge of the ridge8. Mounted across the space formed between the plate 11 and the frontwall of the receptacle is a spring-controlled spindle 16, (the same asis in my patent referred to,) to which is secured the coinadvancing arm17, the oscillation of the latter being limited in one direction by theridge 7 and in the opposite direction by the hub portion of the trigger.(Figs. l and 3.) Normally the arm 17 rests against the ridge 7, beingturned from the latter to advance the coin in the proper direction. Asthe coin is first introduced into the chute 12 it rolls down the sameand rests against the concave depression formed on the long arm of thetrigger, the lower edge of the coin resting adjacent to the depression18, formed in the portion 10. Upon the turning of the spindle 16 and acorresponding swinging of the arm 17 in the propel' direction the arm 17will force the coin against the trigger, tilting the latter againsttheresilience of the spring 15 and forcing it to the point of disengagementwith the catch 14, the lid at the moment of said disengagement tiyingopen under the action of the spring 3, whereupon the plate G will ejectthe box B, as previously indicated. )Vhile the advance of the coin tothe extent indicated will suffice to tilt the trigger sufficiently todisengage the catch 14, the majority of operators will turn the spindle16 to its limit, (such spindle being provided with a knob or milled head19, as in my patent referred to,) when the coin will be forced into thesecond depression 1S', the upper edge of the coin now bearing againstthe end of the long arm of the trigger; but whether the coin rests inthe depression 1S or 18 the trigger is held thereby out of any possibleengagement with the catch 14 should the lid be accidentally closed afterthe abstraction of the box B and before the insertion of a fresh box, sothat under my present construction a rengagement between the trigger andits catch is only possible upon anal ejection of the coin and itsconsequent release of the trigger to allow the latter to resume itsoriginal position under the action of the spring 15. The final releaseof the trigger from the coin is accomplished as follows: By the time thecoin has advanced to have lodged in the depression 1S the rearedge ofthe coin comes approximately flush with the edge of a keyhole 20, formedin the coverplate 11. Said hole 20 serves to receive the tooth 2l of akey K, such tooth being inserted behind the coin C through the hole fromthe inside of the receptacle. (Figs. 5, 6, 7.) Vhen once inserted, thekey is rocked about the stud 22, which separates the tooth from the bodyof the key, in a direction shown by arrow in Fig. 7, the tooth by saidrocking motion forcing the coin out of engagement with the end of thetrigger, the latter at once resuming its normal position and the coinbeing simultaneously ejected and forced into the pocket P, designed forits reception, from which it can be abstracted bythe operator orattendant, the plate 11 being suitably cut away to facilitate theseizure of the coin. It is to be understood, of course, that the key Kis only in possession of the attendant or operator. i

The object of the first depression 18 is to arrest the coin against anypossible retreat after being advanced to the point of disengaging thetrigger from the catch, an accident which would not only permit thetrigger to resume its normal position, but one which would leave thecoin in the chute 12, thus interfering with the introduction of a freshcoin by a subsequent purchaser, and should anypurchaser release the knobor head 19 before the arm 17 has shoved the coin to the seconddepression 18 the attendant can complete the advance of the coin at thepropel' time to its position to be operated upon by the key K, asalready explained. Under my present construction, therefore, it would beimpossible for unauthorized persons to lock the lid after a bonbon-boxwas once abstracted, since the trigger is held by the coin in a positionwhere its engagement with the catch 14 is impossible, so that the lidcan only be permanently closed and locked by the attendant carrying thekey by which the coin is finally forced out of engagement with thetrigger.

It is apparent, of course, that I may vary the present construction inslight details without departing from the nature or spirit of myinvention.r

23 represents a pin by which the trigger 13 is limited in its swing inone direction.

Having described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a coin-controlleddispensing device, a suitable receptacle, a spring-actuated lid hingedto the receptacle, a catch carried by the lid, a spring-controlledpivoted trigger carried by the front wall of the receptacle,a 1'0-tatable spindle mounted adjacent to the trigger, an arm carried by thespindle for advancing the coin in one direction, a coin-chute, acoin-slot formed in the lid and registering with the coin-chute, andmeans located adjacent to the trigger for arresting the coin andpreventing the same from retracing its path after being advancedsufficiently to disengage the trigger from the catch, a keyhole beingformed in the receptacle at a point adjacent to the edge of the coinwhen occupying the position it has assumed after disengaging the triggerfrom the catch, said keyhole being adapted to receive the tooth of a keyfor disengaging the coin from the trigger, substantially as set forth.

2. In a coin-controlled dispensing device, a suitable receptacle, aspring-actuated lid hinged to the receptacle, a catch carried by thelid, a spring-actuated pivoted trigger carried by the front wall of thereceptacle, a rotatable spindle mounted adjacent to the trig- IOO IIO

ger, a coin-advancing arm carried by the spindle and limited by the hubof the trigger in its swing in one direction, a coin-chute, a coin-slotformed in the lid and registering with the chute, and depressions at thebase of the coin-chute for arresting the coin and preventing the samefrom retracing its path after being once advanced sufficiently to effectdisengagement between the trigger and catch, a keyhole being formed i-nthe receptacle at a point adjacent to the edge of the coin whenoccupying the position it has assumed after disengaging the trigger fromthe catch, said keyhole being adapted to receive the tooth of a key fordisengaging the coin from the trigger, substantially as set forth.

3. In a coin-controlled dispensing device, a suitable receptacle, thefront- Wall thereof having adjacently-located ridges formed along theupper edge thereof, ribs on either side of the ridges, a raisedformation between the ribs, and depressions formed along the upper edgeof said formation, a cover-plate supported thereover and forming withthe front wall a suitable housing, a spring-actuated lid hinged to therear Wall of the receptacle, a catch at the free edgeofthe lid, aspringactuated trigger pivoted between the ridges aforesaid, a rotatablespindle mounted adjacent to the trigger, and having a coin-advancing armlimited in one direction by one of the ridges and in the oppositedirection by the hub of the trigger, a keyhole being formed in thecover-plate at a point adjacent to the edge of the coin when the latteroccupies the last depression formed for its reception, the said keyholebeing adapted to receive the tooth of a rotatable key for disengagingthe coin from the trigger, the parts operating substantially as and forthe purpose set forth.

4. In a coin-controlled dispensing device, a suitable receptacle, aspring-actuated lid hinged thereto, a catch at the free edge of the lid,a spring-controlled trigger pivoted to the front Wall of the receptacle,a rotatable spindle operated from the outside of the receptacle andhaving an inner coin-advancing arm adapted to force the coin against thetrigger, the latter being adapted to be held disengaged from the catchby the coin upon an advance by the latter to apoint sufficient to effectsuch disengagement and after a return of the coin-advancing arm to itsnormal position, a keyhole being formed in the receptacle at a pointadjacent to the edge of the coin when occupying the position it hasassumed after disengaging the trigger from the catch, said keyhole beingadapted to receive the tooth of a key for disengaging the coin from thetrigger, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DANIEL SULLIVAN.

Witnesses:

EMIL STAREK, G. L. BELFRY.

